Four suspended for Ravenshaw clash

VIKASH SHARMA

Students protest on the Ravenshaw University campus on Tuesday. Telegraph picture

Cuttack, Feb. 27: The authorities of Ravenshaw University today slapped a two-year suspension on four students for their alleged involvement in a campus clash that took place between two groups of students on Monday evening.

Priyajit Rayguru and Sushant Sethi, both third-year commerce students and boarders of East Hostel, and Amiya Ranjan Sahu and Seshadhar Das, second-year day scholars, have been suspended till 2015. Consequently, they have been debarred from appearing in the forthcoming fourth semester examinations, said the vice-chancellor of the varsity, B.C. Tripathy.

The university has also imposed a penalty of Rs 2,000 each on two students — Nigamananda Swain, first-year geology, and Abhijit Pradhan, second-year physics. Both the students are boarders of New PG hostel.

Monday’s violent clash between boarders of East Hostel and those of New PG hostel left a student injured and three motorcycles burnt and damaged.

Tripathy said the decision was taken at a staff council meeting that lasted nearly five hours, this evening.

In a written resolution, students have been directed to join classes from Thursday and stop demonstrations on campus. Studies were hit for two days because boarders of both hostels staged protests, levelling allegations against each other and demanding action against the guilty.

“Any student who indulges in this kind of violence will be subjected to automatic suspension for four consecutive semesters,” warned Tripathy.

“Since the burning of the motorcycle took place in the presence of police, we urge them to probe the arson for action,” the vice-chancellor said.

East Hostel boarders have condemned the decision to suspend the four students.

“The authorities have acted in a partial manner by suspending our fellow hostel inmates and we again urge them to reconsider their decision. Otherwise, we will intensify our agitation,” said Sanjiv Prusty, a boarder of East Hostel.